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Obama's foreign policy in gridlock: former national security adviser
CNN ^ | February 5, 2010 | Meghan Rafferty,

Posted on 02/05/2010 11:49:38 PM PST by Jet Jaguar

President Obama's foreign policy agenda may have "run out of steam" and he must now take risks and provide effective leadership, former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said Friday.

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Brzezinski said Obama's foreign policy agenda is suffering from gridlock in Washington.

"I have the feeling that because of domestic problems, he has run out of steam, and I don't know really how determined he is to resume what he started doing so well, which is to engage the world constructively," Brzezinski said.

Brzezinski, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the only way to break the stalemate is for Obama to take the lead.

The president can show leadership, he said, by "persuasively going to the country directly, mobilizing the support, taking on some difficult foreign challenge, and prevailing."

Brzezinski cited Iran as an example of key challenges Obama ought to tackle.

Obama should not "abandon it prematurely," he said, noting the complexities of the internal Iranian situation could give the United States "room for maneuver, and perhaps some basis for expecting an eventual partial accommodation."

Brzezinski also cited the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a key challenge because it "revolutionizes, radicalizes the Middle East, and maximizes the number of enemies the United States has."

Asked how he would grade the Obama administration's performance on Iran and the Middle East, he said, "Well, rhetorically, A; in terms of performance, B, B-minus."

Despite the United States' foreign policy problems, Brzezinski said, the nation has the resources to deal with new global security threats in cyberspace, outer space and on the high seas.

Brzezinski also commented on the newly published 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, a legislatively mandated review of the U.S. Department of Defense strategy and priorities.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: brzezinski; nsp; nss; qdr
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1 posted on 02/05/2010 11:49:38 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar

Let me guess, Bush’s fault. Man, W is by far the most powerful president we have ever had.


2 posted on 02/05/2010 11:51:02 PM PST by ABQHispConservative (A good Blue Dog is an unelected Blue Dog. Ditto Rino's!)
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To: Jet Jaguar
Interesting. This antisemitic fraud, whom I have seen identified as a KGB agent (I don't have reference now), and who had two sons, one in each presidential campaign organization, is saying this. Isn't this the guy who said that Israeli planes should be shot down if they flew over Iraqi airspace en route to Iran air strike?
3 posted on 02/06/2010 12:01:21 AM PST by J Edgar
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To: J Edgar

I recall that.


4 posted on 02/06/2010 12:03:33 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar
Where does he come up with "gridlock" ?

"I have the feeling that because of domestic problems, he has run out of steam, and I don't know really how determined he is to resume what he started doing so well, which is to engage the world constructively," Brzezinski said.

This amounts to neglect, not gridlock. And what's this noise about resuming what he started doing so well? This is the grossest sort of apologetics. He is completely detached from reality, even as he feels its ineluctable pressure.

5 posted on 02/06/2010 12:06:58 AM PST by dr_lew
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To: dr_lew

neglect, not gridlock

Very true.

Obama was to have presented his National Security Strategy to the Congress by July 2009. He still has not.


6 posted on 02/06/2010 12:10:07 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar

How do you get a B- for doing nothing?


7 posted on 02/06/2010 12:11:11 AM PST by scott7278 ("...I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked." BHO)
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To: scott7278

Consider the grader and throw in some affirmative action.


8 posted on 02/06/2010 12:13:34 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: scott7278
How do you get a B- for doing nothing?

Where have you been?

9 posted on 02/06/2010 12:14:30 AM PST by dr_lew
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To: scott7278
"How do you get a B- for doing nothing?"

Gradingon a curve. Consider 'rat Franken.

10 posted on 02/06/2010 12:15:35 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Jet Jaguar
"...I don't know really how determined he is to resume what he started doing so well, which is to engage the world constructively," Brzezinski said.

This relic of the Carter Administration apparently thinks Odumbo should hit the road again and go bow to some more foreign leaders. Maybe the aging blowhard would like to give Odumbo a list of leaders to go bow to.

11 posted on 02/06/2010 12:22:55 AM PST by Rocky (Obama's ego: The "I's" have it.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

Yep - I really would like to see Obama’s grades compared to his work.


12 posted on 02/06/2010 12:29:53 AM PST by scott7278 ("...I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked." BHO)
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To: dr_lew
This amounts to neglect, not gridlock.

Not in Leftist Fantasyland. Neglect gets you a B-.

13 posted on 02/06/2010 12:31:18 AM PST by scott7278 ("...I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked." BHO)
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To: Jet Jaguar

One globalist pontificating about another.


14 posted on 02/06/2010 12:38:12 AM PST by Quix ( POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 TRAITORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
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To: Jet Jaguar

Run out of steam? Toot toot?


15 posted on 02/06/2010 12:50:58 AM PST by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
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To: Jet Jaguar
Let me get this straight...

Zbigniew Brzezinski is advising a fumbling goofball Democrat President on how to get back on his international diplomacy game -- particularly regarding the Iranian regime -- while the President's panicky focus is on domestic affairs, primarily the ongoing recession.

Is this 1979 or 2010? I feel like I should be listening to Fleetwood Mac and wearing platform shoes and a polyester leisure suit while sitting in a Ford Pinto waiting in a line of 100 cars to put five gallons of rationed gasoline on my Diner's Club card.

This is a nightmare. We're reliving Jimmy Carter's presidency and IT JUST STARTED.

16 posted on 02/06/2010 12:57:14 AM PST by The KG9 Kid
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To: The KG9 Kid

1976 July (Don’t Fear) The Reaper Blue Oyster Cult

And then things changed

1981 June FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
1981 August Burnin’ For You
1982 April EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIVE
1982 Roadhouse Blues (live)


17 posted on 02/06/2010 1:02:03 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: The KG9 Kid
LOL. Very well put.

Typing from Sweden, I really do feel transported back into the 1970's ... ALL THE TIME. Meaning if they turn US into THIS, it's 1970 only with cell phones and digital billboards ALL THE TIME!

18 posted on 02/06/2010 1:04:47 AM PST by riri (Resistance-It's the New Black)
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To: Jet Jaguar

You can play your music in my 8-track, but don’t touch the levels on my equalizer, man.


19 posted on 02/06/2010 1:08:40 AM PST by The KG9 Kid
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To: The KG9 Kid

LOL!


20 posted on 02/06/2010 1:09:20 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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